Sample Personal Essay

Lights… Cameras… ACTION!! Scream if you love “Linkin Park”! On July 25^th, 2007, “Projekt Revolution” rolled into Auburn, Washington at the White River Amphitheater and preformed a live concert for people of all ages. This concert had many different genres branching of the popular rock genre such as metal, punk, indy, screamo, alternative, etc… There were many popular bands playing such as Saosin, Julien-K, HIM, Taking Back Sunday, My Chemical Romance, Linkin Park and more. This was one of my defining moments of my summer. It had two different meanings to it. The first meaning that this day had was that it was my girlfriend and my 4 month anniversary. The second meaning was that I really wanted to see Linkin Park live in concert. They came last year, but I was unable to go because of my work schedule.

I was also very please with all of the other different bands that were playing that day. You would think it would be a waste of money to go to a concert that had 11 different bands playing and you only came to see one. I knew 6 of them, so I think I got my moneys worth. All of them had their different styles of singing and performance. Some of the bands just sang, and some of them put on a little show to please and entertain the audience.

I thought that this would be a perfect anniversary gift for my girlfriend, because for one, she doesn’t go to many concerts, and for two, she really likes Linkin Park. I felt bad for her since most of the underground bands that she had never heard of were some of the bands that I liked. I could tell that she felt very left out. But, in the end, I got her to like some of the underground bands because as the old saying goes, “You’ll never know until you try”.

There were also so many other things to go at the concert. You were able to go and eat at very many different restaurants from Ivar’s to Red Robins. There were also many T-Shirt stands selling shirts of every band that was playing today. They were also selling merchandise for all of the bands, and a special CD that would let you access to see the whole concert all over again in you own home.

I would have to say that this was one of my most defining moments of my summer. It had so much meaning to it and it was just an exciting and fun filled day. I got to listen to some of my favorite rock bands perform live in concert; I got to spend the whole day with my girl friend, and on top of that it was our anniversary. This is one memory that I will never forget…

Sample Personal Essay: Home

I have a secret hide away, and it has me. For years it has been stationed below assorted age old trees and rusty street lamps on the lonely corner of Yellowstone Ave. and North Pryor Street. Byron Wyoming. You can spot the sky blue house in the summer when it’s set on fire by my grandma’s colorful burning flowers, and up the winding sidewalk you will find what I have enjoyed calling home. A place suited for my very own necessities.

The house has undergone many stressful renovations over the past 21 years; nonetheless, she has upheld many long days and still stands to tell me her story every time I walk in. A good mood, a sour mood, a rainy day, or an awful night, my grandparent’s home never ceases to comfort me in my darkest hour. As much as times change, there are those who come and go, who share the same nest as me. It would be selfish to call this place all mine, for without the love and unity felt within these walls, this house wouldn’t be the home it is today for so many.

On the inside, the walls hold tight the photographs that help tell our story. I smile back at them often in my busy, hectic day to rekindle what matters most to me, family. That family is composed of all who enter that front door for whatsoever reason, and they will not be forgotten here. There is always enough room, always enough to go around, so I come around every chance I get.

The best days are when the smell of my lovely grandma’s cooking calls the nose to the kitchen for a longtime favorite meal. Green pork chili, fresh tortillas, papas and fadeo, smothered in sharp cheddar cheese is a ritual at our home. Friends and family come from far and wide to tame a craving that can’t be satisfied anywhere but at the vanilla cream bar of my grandma’s kitchen. These are the days that leave little room for worries, much room for food, and more room for seconds!

The yard out back is dressed up in nice flowers, swings, chairs, flowing fountains, cherubim, and a perfectly cut lawn by my grandpa. I believe he does a lot of thinking under that straw hat of his riding the lawn mower around, and if I’m a lucky bug, he will stop and remove his hat once in a while and share some good advice with me. “Son” he will say, removing the hat with a smile, “How is my mijo?” What I say from there is poured into a glass that my grandpa can see right through. I believe it’s for the best, there are only a few who wear straw hats and ride lawn mowers as magical as my grandfathers.

They say that everybody has a hide away, a quiet place, or in other words, a home. I know this one simply wouldn’t be what I love it for today without my grandparents. The wisdom of my grandfather runs deep as the oceans. The quiet, humble, solitude and strength of my grandmother’s love and special spirit could hold these walls up if the very jaws of hell itself were to gape open at me. That is why I call my hide away a home, and my home a hideaway, because that is exactly what it is.

Sample: Personal Essay

It was a warm spring afternoon in May of my junior year and our gym class was up at the athletic fields. We were playing lacrosse. There was a girl who wasn't very athletic and so many kids either laughed at her or made fun of her. I heard kids yell "You suck, just stop playing!" I felt bad for her because she wouldn’t stick up for herself and she would just take it without saying anything. I could just tell by the look on her face how upset she was. She was the kind of kid who would get picked last on the gym teams and I felt really bad. One gym class I let her join my team. At this, my friends got mad because they didn't want her to be on our team because she wasn't any good. I said "It's not a big deal guys, it's only gym class." In the meantime our gym teacher was calling the next two teams to come and play. My gym teacher shouted, "Steve's team" and I went running out on the field with the girl, but I noticed the rest of my team didn't follow. I thought about how ridiculous and immature these kids were. What's the big deal? I kept asking myself. After about five minutes of the gym teacher and me nagging them to come out and play they finally gave in and we started playing. She wasn't very good at the game we were playing so I slowed down the pace of the game a little to give her a chance. Instead of making fun of her and watching her play really badly, I showed her the right way to play the game by example. The gym teacher was there to help, but sometimes it's better to hear advice or get help from a peer. If I had been a freshman or sophomore I wouldn't have done anything, but I now was a junior and wasn't just going to stand there and watch her get upset. At the end of the class a couple of my friends came up to me and said “why did you stick up for her”? I told them, “She didn't do anything to you; she's just not the athletic type.” There was no reason to do what you guys did. Put yourself in her position and tell me how you feel. It then went silent for about twenty seconds and in almost a whisper I heared, “I know”. It was a mean thing to do.” I think the kids on the team finally realized that they did the wrong thing and that it wasn't a varsity sport and only gym class. From then on she wasn't picked on as much and joined other teams other than mine as well, though she kept asking me any questions she had about sports. She gained confidence out on the field when she knew people weren't going to make fun of her.

I am the type of person who thinks that everyone should get a turn to play, especially in a non-competitive sport. If someone isn't good at something she still should have a chance to play by giving people a chance, they can learn something they have never done before. Even if it takes longer for some people to learn you have to slow down the pace so they can gain some confidence. Everyone should get a chance; whether they are athletic or not they still have the right to play and have fun. Just by giving someone a chance can change someones’ feelings or interests in sports or life in general.

I've always loved to help people out especially people younger than I am. When I help someone out I feel really proud especially when I can make the person smile. I have always tried to act the way I wanted to be treated and lead by example. Why should anyone listen to you if you can't do it yourself? When I helped this girl in gym class that's when I realized I wanted to help people and show them the right way to do things by example. Maybe if I have been a freshman or sophomore, I wouldn't have acted this way, I might have just gone along with my business, but from my junior year on I have thought about making someone happy and helping them become more interested in sports and perhaps making them a better athlete or even happier person. In the process this is why I chose law enforcement/ Physical ed. to study. In law enforcement/ Physical ed. I realize I can help people be better and maybe even make a difference in someone’s life.

Sample: Personal Essay

My parents have altered my life. They have altered my life in many ways. The way that they raised me has a big affect on how they have changed my life. Both my mom and dad have done a lot for me and are always there to help me out. They both discipline me so that when I do something bad or something that I wasn’t supposed to do. Also both of my parents make me do my homework and then make me show it to them so I do not get used to lying to them. I do not usually lie to them but in the summer I will every once in a while I will say that I put my contacts in but I really didn’t. I never tell big lies to my parents. They also teach me good manners. They teach me how to act the dinner table. Also they teach me manners on talking to people and looking at their faces.

My parents don’t discipline me to be mean they do it to teach me a lesson. Whenever I am rude to someone my parents will discipline me and tell me how to act properly in public or when I am with my parents and their grownup friends. They always like it when I am nice to their friends and don’t try to pretend that they are not there. They also discipline me if I am acting up at the dinner table. Also they discipline me when we are out in public at restaurants or even at stores when I act up. If I play with my food they tell me to stop and say eat your food with manners. My brother and I get disciplined when we fight or argue and get in trouble.

My parents have taught me very good manners. Such as, yes please and no thank you. My parents teach me manners for a reason. That reason is manners will get me farther in life then without. My parents started teaching me manners when I was little so that I could get somewhere in life and go to job interviews and go to college. A big manner that my parents taught me is never ask if a friend can sleep over in front of the friend. Meeting someone with good manners is much better than meeting someone without manners.

My parents always make me do my homework. They make me do my homework because they want me to get a good job and they want me to get good grades and be smart. I usually get a little bit of homework in just about every subject, except for on Fridays. They always let me come home eat a snack like an orange or apple then I have to do homework. I am not allowed to hang out with friends until my homework is over. They make me do it before dinner but sometimes I have I have to finish it after dinner. My parents teach me not to procrastinate and just get it done and over with. If I procrastinate I may not finish all my homework because I may not have time to finish it all at the last second.

My parents have raised me to be a nice kid and always respect elderly. They have raised me to be an athlete and to not be lazy. They tell me not to get in the habit of waking up late be it wastes half of your day. They’ve raised me to like a lot of sports and stay outside as much as possible. I like to play baseball and football and I used to play soccer. I am probably best at baseball because my mom and dad made me tryout for a travel team and I made it I really started to like it so I stuck with it. They’ve told me to keep my belongings neat and stay organized. These are just some of the ways my parents are helping me to become a productive happy adult.

Personal Essay Sample: Social Groups

Social groups are present in all areas of life. No matter what situation or activity that a person participates in, there are always types of groups present. Sometimes these groups are well organize and diplomatic in structure. Other times the groups can be much unorganized with no true structure. Either way, groups exist in our everyday life and have positive and negative affects on the outcome of the many decisions that we make. Some examples of social groups that people belong to are: school, government, family, special interest, religious, or etc. Social groups are an important tool that people use to draw strength from and belong.

One social group that provides an abundance of support is the team environment at school. Whether it be the bonds of friendship formed in elementary school or the support given by caring teens in high school, social groups in school can be very important to the growth and success of a student. This carries on into further education such as trade school or college. For instance, the social structure of the team environment at the University of Phoenix is based on the ideas and concepts of learning through a real world team environment. These teams range from two to six adults and with this will come with an abundance of mixed social cultures. Single or married, black or white, young or old, these are all characteristics of a truly mixed social group.

The social teams at school range in support from class to class. In some classes the teammates show their strengths and in other classes they show weakness. For example, some teammates are much better at writing their mathematics. Although other teammates might be better at research and not do well with power point presentations. Whatever the case, the support one can receive from a team at school will be positive most of the time. There is a potential for a negative result any time you have multiple persons with his or her opinions. For my personal experience the social support teams I have been involved with have all had a positive impact on my life. The support I have received and the multicultural impact this school team has had on me will greatly improve my professional life in my job.

Another social support group that has had an influence impact on my life is my relationship with my church group. This group, as compared to a school social group would rank higher as a secondary support group. Although a school group can have positive impacts on one’s life. The church family can provide an important and necessary ingredient into ones life, moral support. In my church regardless the situation or predicament a member is in, the rest of the church provides undying moral support. By cooking meals and spending time with members there is a social group and strength that is drawn from the church. There is an ultimate feeling of support that is given to a member of the church.

Above all there is a social group that I belong to that provides the ultimate form of support. This group is a primary support group with an abundance of cultural diversity. This group is, of course, my family. My wife is a person that I have known for twelve years. We have been married for eight years this month. The amount of moral support and social support she has given me is immeasurable. My wife, Heather, gave me two wonderful children; one, a five year old daughter named Michala and the other is a two year old son named Dylan. The amount of social and moral support that I have learned over my life and through my experiences, I will pass onto my children.

The other forms of family are my parents and in-laws. There have been mixed results from this social group. Sometimes parents and in-laws involve themselves in business that is best left to the married children, although usually they only mean the best. Sometimes it can cause friction between a husband and wife. This social group would be classified as a secondary source.

The roles of the social groups in society are very important. The school group impacts the success of the student. The religious group develops the moral values and faith of the member. The family group impacts the success and happiness in ones life and the life of the other family members. Overall society has a number of benefits from these and other social groups. All teams have positive and negative characteristics. The school team has the learning experience but also has conflict within it. The religious group has rumor and deceit built as well. The family group is full of drama and emotion. As you can see all groups have both positive and negative results to offer, but the positive experiences is dominant and worth the negative.

As we have seen, social groups are present in all areas of life. Social groups are an important tool that people use to draw strength from and belong to. I have enjoyed the groups I have been a part of and will continue to participate in social groups both individually and professionally.

Personal Essay Sample

When I hear someone say, what is your culture? I get a little confused. The first thing that comes to mind is the Southern culture and the differences of the Northern culture. After taking a better look into the true meaning of the word culture, it is difficult to relate to my German heritage. My great grandparents were direct descendants from West Deutschland in Germany. This of course was prior to the Berlin Wall being torn down which led to the name change eliminating East and West Deutschland and combined them into one. My family name is ______ but before my descendants came from Germany it was __________.

They dropped the ___ and left it the shorter version ______. When my German descendants arrived in America, the lived in Wisconsin until a job opportunity led them to Tennessee. My great grandfather worked as general labor for the Core of Engineers and helped to build the Old Hickory Dam in Old Hickory Tennessee. He was injured on the job and lost the use of his legs, becoming paralyzed due to having a large container of concrete dropped on him. My great grandmother spoke only German and did not communicate with anyone other than her husband. When __________ died, she lived alone for almost a year before the loneliness and depression caused her to take her own life. My culture would most likely be summed up in a couple of words including; hardworking, family oriented, and dedicated. These are also the terms that I would use if someone asked me what my core values were. Coming from an entire family of hardworking blue collar factory workers it is easy for me to see what cultural variations can add to ones daily life as well as the total life experience. That cultural vision has help me to see how others family are structured as well as their work ethic and so on. I have learned a great deal about many different social cultures as well as religious beliefs by working in environments with a wide range of people from many different backgrounds. As a child I was part of a new program introduced to this area of intermixing classes and ethnic groups in the school systems. I lived across the street from kids that remained in our original school while I was bussed across Nashville to a predominately black school in the Metro School District. This introduced me to a whole new culture and way of life. Drive by shootings and poverty were an everyday part of life for the children that I learned and grew with. Therefore having experienced some of the cultural differences, I gained a broad perspective of who I am and who I wanted to be.

The middle school experience led me on a path that was interrupted by a total polar opposite experience in High School. I attended a small town school that is located in a town with a troubled past. My first summer there the local KKK would stand out at the red lights to hand out pamphlets. Whoa! what a culture shock, to a young boy coming out of a diverse school district. It was always present in the background due to there being no diversity in that school. Racial prejudices were a part of everyday life and learning from those help mold me into who I am today. Being able to see past the outside of a person and read what is on the inside is the true picture of who a person really is.

My family Culture has always been work hard to provide for your family as soon as you can get a job. I graduated High School early to go into the work force as soon as I could. All of my Forefathers were excellent providers but lacked the vision to see beyond just getting the bills paid. I, upon completion, will be the first of the entire ______ family to attend or received a college diploma. My culture is changing to one that not only encourages me to succeed but to also think outside the box and reach higher than anyone in my family ever has before.

Overall, I can say that my culture has been accumulated over the years and I hope to continue to add to it as I progress through my career. German culture is something that I am not familiar with but am intrigued and plan on focusing on in my future studies. I leave you with a quote from my father… “You will never get in trouble for doing a job too good!”

Personal Essay Sample

When I hear someone say, what is your culture? I get a little confused. The first thing that comes to mind is the Southern culture and the differences of the Northern culture. After taking a better look into the true meaning of the word culture, it is difficult to relate to my German heritage. My great grandparents were direct descendants from West Deutschland in Germany. This of course was prior to the Berlin Wall being torn down which led to the name change eliminating East and West Deutschland and combined them into one. My family name is Richter but before my descendants came from Germany it was VonRichter.

They dropped the Von and left it the shorter version Richter When my German descendants arrived in America, the lived in Wisconsin until a job opportunity led them to Tennessee. My great grandfather worked as general labor for the Core of Engineers and helped to build the Old Hickory Dam in Old Hickory Tennessee. He was injured on the job and lost the use of his legs, becoming paralyzed due to having a large container of concrete dropped on him. My great grandmother spoke only German and did not communicate with anyone other than her husband. When Vincent Richter died, she lived alone for almost a year before the loneliness and depression caused her to take her own life. My culture would most likely be summed up in a couple of words including; hardworking, family oriented, and dedicated. These are also the terms that I would use if someone asked me what my core values were. Coming from an entire family of hardworking blue collar factory workers it is easy for me to see what cultural variations can add to ones daily life as well as the total life experience. That cultural vision has help me to see how others family are structured as well as their work ethic and so on. I have learned a great deal about many different social cultures as well as religious beliefs by working in environments with a wide range of people from many different backgrounds. As a child I was part of a new program introduced to this area of intermixing classes and ethnic groups in the school systems. I lived across the street from kids that remained in our original school while I was bussed across Nashville to a predominately black school in the Metro School District. This introduced me to a whole new culture and way of life. Drive by shootings and poverty were an everyday part of life for the children that I learned and grew with. Therefore having experienced some of the cultural differences, I gained a broad perspective of who I am and who I wanted to be.

The middle school experience led me on a path that was interrupted by a total polar opposite experience in High School. I attended a small town school that is located in a town with a troubled past. My first summer there the local KKK would stand out at the red lights to hand out pamphlets. Whoa! what a culture shock, to a young boy coming out of a diverse school district. It was always present in the background due to there being no diversity in that school. Racial prejudices were a part of everyday life and learning from those help mold me into who I am today. Being able to see past the outside of a person and read what is on the inside is the true picture of who a person really is.

My family Culture has always been work hard to provide for your family as soon as you can get a job. I graduated High School early to go into the work force as soon as I could. All of my Forefathers were excellent providers but lacked the vision to see beyond just getting the bills paid. I, upon completion, will be the first of the entire Richter family to attend or received a college diploma. My culture is changing to one that not only encourages me to succeed but to also think outside the box and reach higher than anyone in my family ever has before.
Overall, I can say that my culture has been accumulated over the years and I hope to continue to add to it as I progress through my career. German culture is something that I am not familiar with but am intrigued and plan on focusing on in my future studies. I leave you with a quote from my father… “You will never get in trouble for doing a job too good!”

Sample Personal Essay

As I was growing up during Middle school, I was not aware of the aggressive and competitive world that surrounded me. Moreover, I did not know the importance of education. However, it took a harsh family experience to reveal to me the valuable lesson of the importance of having an education. My father had a decent paying job after six years of service to his Aeronautical Company as a sheet metal mechanic. He thought he had a stable job but soon after the company went bankrupt. The Aeronautical Company laid off all their workers including my father. The day he was laid off, my mother and I went to go pick him up. When we arrived at the company, we saw my father with a sad face. When he got into the car, he told us that they had laid him off. It was then I knew that our family was in trouble, and it was only a matter of time that I would experience the emotional frustration of bankruptcy. My parents had enough savings to get us through one year. After the first year, we would then have to rely on my mother’s low-income job to support us. Long term it was difficult, especially in the beginning. All the things that my family and I took for granted were gone. Things such as toys, new shoes, and cell phones had no part in our every day lives. However, we did recuperate, and three years later I learned one important lesson from our adversity. During those three years of unemployment, my father could not find a job because he did not have enough education, so he then decided to take multiple aviation courses for three years. After my father had completed his aviation courses, he then started working again after three years of unemployment. I was captivated by the fact that my father could not find a decent paying job during his unemployment, that he had to go to school in order to find a job that would be able to support his family . After the big ordeal had calmed down, I started thinking about my future. I knew that I did not want my own future family to go through what I had gone through. I especially, did not want to go through the experience of bankruptcy again. It was then that I knew that education is and will always be the stairway to success. This experience was truly an epiphany at that point in my life. Before my father was laid off, I did not take education seriously and thanks to that experience I now value education. I took the harsh conditions that my family and I encountered as an opportunity to learn more about life and my future. If it where not for that adversity I would have never thought and or dreamed of a better future for myself.

Personal Essay

As I was growing up during Middle school, I was not aware of the aggressive and competitive world that surrounded me. Moreover, I did not know the importance of education. However, it took a harsh family experience to reveal to me the valuable lesson of the importance of having an education. My father had a decent paying job after six years of service to his Aeronautical Company as a sheet metal mechanic. He thought he had a stable job but soon after the company went bankrupt. The Aeronautical Company laid off all their workers including my father. The day he was laid off, my mother and I went to go pick him up. When we arrived at the company, we saw my father with a sad face. When he got into the car, he told us that they had laid him off. It was then I knew that our family was in trouble, and it was only a matter of time that I would experience the emotional frustration of bankruptcy. My parents had enough savings to get us through one year. After the first year, we would then have to rely on my mother’s low-income job to support us. Long term it was difficult, especially in the beginning. All the things that my family and I took for granted were gone. Things such as toys, new shoes, and cell phones had no part in our every day lives. However, we did recuperate, and three years later I learned one important lesson from our adversity. During those three years of unemployment, my father could not find a job because he did not have enough education, so he then decided to take multiple aviation courses for three years. After my father had completed his aviation courses, he then started working again after three years of unemployment. I was captivated by the fact that my father could not find a decent paying job during his unemployment, that he had to go to school in order to find a job that would be able to support his family . After the big ordeal had calmed down, I started thinking about my future. I knew that I did not want my own future family to go through what I had gone through. I especially, did not want to go through the experience of bankruptcy again. It was then that I knew that education is and will always be the stairway to success. This experience was truly an epiphany at that point in my life. Before my father was laid off, I did not take education seriously and thanks to that experience I now value education. I took the harsh conditions that my family and I encountered as an opportunity to learn more about life and my future. If it where not for that adversity I would have never thought and or dreamed of a better future for myself.